I hope some of you can help answer my questions, I'm sorry there's a lot of them.
I'm currently 23, my SO (significant other. We're not legally married) is 24, and we have a 3yr old girl, and twin 18mth old boys together. (with all kids we are both the biological parents. None of them are from previous relationships)
We are wanting to move to Finland sometime in the next year. Hopefully by no later than April 2015. What I'm wanting to know is:
-Would it be best to apply for a citizenship now, or wait until closer to the time we're wanting to be there by? I know that I, and my children, would want to stay there permanently, but my SO is a little more hesitant. (He actually has family he can tolerate & would miss here in the states) And how high a chance is it that our citizenship request would be denied? Does anyone know why they would deny us?
-What exactly do they test cars on, before they're allowed to be imported to Finland? He has an '80 el Camino he wants to bring, but he's not sure what is required, and I can't find anything specific, only that they do have to pass certain tests.
-What is the average job pay there, and how hard is it to find work? Is there a minimum wage, like in the states? (It's $7.25/hr here) Would I be able to secure a job before moving, or would I have to be jobless for awhile once getting there, and hope for the best in finding one? If I would be able to get one before, how would I go about looking?
-What is living there like, in general? I live in Nashville, TN, so I'm hoping it's a bit more quiet.
-How expensive are vehicles, and what would be the best (long and short term cost wise) car to own there? I have an '88 Acura Legend LS now, that I love, but I'm not sure it would pass the requirements to bring it there. So we'd probably have to buy a family vehicle upon arriving.
-What is the housing like? What I mean is, I know there's bad neighborhoods/houses everywhere, but is there a lot of ghetto? (Terrible/cheaply made/falling apart/not taken care of houses, violent crime, drugs, etc) Would it be best to find a good real estate agent and get a place before, or stay in a hotel once we get there and search for a place? (I would prefer to have it all taken care of upon arrival, but IDK if that would be the best option)
-How expensive is child care? With 3 small children, that is definitely important.

Well... I think that's it. I had a list somewhere that I had written my questions on, but I seem to have lost it. I think I covered everything, though. Thank you in advance for your help!

American family moving to Finland

Firstly, you confuse citizenship with residence permit. You’re not gonna get Finnish citizenship yet, you need to live in Finland for several years first. A residence permit is something you can apply for and get, if you fulfil the requirements.

That brings me to your big problem. On what basis are you guys planning to apply for your residence permits? What is your reason/excuse for moving here? You will need to show that at least one of you already has a job (before even applying for residence permits), or that you have been accepted to a degree program at a University. What kind of skills do you have? Are you super-specialists in your field? Then you start contacting companies and hope that you are interesting enough for them to go through all the paperwork of hiring you.
Have a look at Migri’s page for more info (in English):

Housing, child care & transportation are all important things, but you can get lots of information about those by doing a simple search of the forum, and those things hardly matter unless you have your residence permits sorted (or at least viable reasons for getting them).

Ha ha.... Ghetto areas.... This is Finland, American ghettos don't exist here. Even the "worse" areas can't compare to American ghettos.... And this will shock you.... My nine year old is allowed to play outside after dark. Which isn't too hard since it's dark well before 5pm right now LOL.

Clearly you know nothing about Finland. Sorry.

You need to take a look at this website and do some proper research.

Your questions are just so.... I don't know.

For instance, are you a Finnish citizen? If not.... And you have no ties here.... And you are extremely young.... You will not get here unless you apply to study. What other way could you come here? Not for a job. You are too young to be any kind of specialist in anything which no one else in the entire EU could do.

The economy is in the sh*ts here right now. Getting any job is going to be hard, unless you want to work in the "caring" fields, like nursing etc.

Sorry, but you need to give us more information and questions other than asking about bringing your cars. There are many other more important things you should be worried about.

I didn't know you have to live there for a few years first, thank you.
I want to move to Finland because, in general, it is better than America. It has a WAY lower crime rate than the US (TN, where I live now, was recently found to be the state with the highest violent crime rate... And most of TN is farms. -_-) Finland has one of the best, if not *the* best, educational system in the world. Better quality/healthier foods. Better healthcare system. I could go on and on about why I would prefer to live, and raise my children, in Finland.
No, I am not currently a Finnish citizen. All of us were born and raised in America... I have read about Finland, a lot. But, you know, most places don't tell about the bad parts. Especially when you're reading about it from a world away. (Besides America, because the media gets off on violence) Most of the things I've read on here have been either irrelevant, or asking about the economy (which isn't great anywhere in the world, at the moment) not about the neighborhood life, or the structural soundness of buildings.

Look, I know that we are young, but I am trying to think about my children's future. I don't want them growing up in America. I want them to have a good education, that won't cost me $100,000 a year. Public schools are crap, over crowded, and I've known more than a few people that graduated with honors, who can barely read or write! I want a good life for my kids, and I do not see that being possible here. I want them to grow up in a safe environment. I want them to have a chance. My SO and I had them very young, and I know that was not the best thing we could have done. (Thank you failed birth control) But, I want to do right by them. I want to live somewhere that I don't have to worry about my daughters school-mate bringing mommy's crack pipe to school, and getting the other kids to lick it. (yes, that's happened around here before.) And, sadly, that happens ALL over America, even in the smallest towns. She's 3, she'll be starting kindergarten in a few years, and my sons are not far behind her. The time to try is now, while THEY are young, and have a chance...

From all that I've read, Finland is one of the best places to live, and raise children. So, that is where I'm trying to go. It looks beautiful, seems like we would fit in, and it's something we have been getting excited about, since we made the decision to try.

What other information would you need, Flossy1978, and what other questions do you think I should be asking, then?

The grounds you could user to apply for a residence permit are basically:
* Work
- you should have a work contract and the local employment office should think there is a need to get somebody for it from abroad
or
* Studies
- could be easier otherwise, but for a family of five you'd still need funds (cash in a bank account at first) corresponding to one reasonably good salary:http://www.migri.fi/moving_to_finland_t ... equirement

So what kind of education and work history you two have? Is there any reasonable chance this might work?

Rip wrote:The grounds you could user to apply for a residence permit are basically:
* Work
- you should have a work contract and the local employment office should think there is a need to get somebody for it from abroad
or
* Studies
- could be easier otherwise, but for a family of five you'd still need funds (cash in a bank account at first) corresponding to one reasonably good salary:http://www.migri.fi/moving_to_finland_t ... equirement

So what kind of education and work history you two have? Is there any reasonable chance this might work?

I am about a semester away from having my Associates degree in Commercial Digital Photography. (I dropped out once I became pregnant with my daughter) Most of the jobs I've had, were fast food, and I was a car insurance agent for awhile, and worked at a daycare. For the past 3 years, I've been a stay at home mom. (But really wanting to go back to work) My SO has been working in a factory for awhile, as a forklift operator. He's also done some construction work, rebuilding a house, and has some knowledge as a mechanic.

As others have said, moving to Finland is very difficult unless you have a good education and skills that mean that you can get a permit based on work, or you will need to apply for studies here and have enough money to support yourselves while in school.

But assuming that you have overcome all the obstacles, I would not pressure my partner to move here if he didn't really want to leave the US. If things don't turn out the way you think they will - beautiful Finland, wonderful schools, free healthcare, good jobs - that is a recipe for resentment and damage to your relationship.

Finally, about the food: Until you have been shopping in Finland, do not assume that the food is all wonderful and healthy and affordable. It's quite expensive to buy food here. Even what we would consider a cheap cut of meat is outrageous in the shops here, and often I can't find the variety and freshness of produce that I was used to find back home in Seattle.

Whatever you do, do not idealize Finland. I love living here, and have been very lucky since I arrived to join my Finnish husband last year. I found a job right away, we bought an apartment, I have met many nice friends here, my husband's family accept me and are very nice, and everything is running smoothly. But Finland is not the antidote to being disappointed in life in America.

ritan7471 wrote:As others have said, moving to Finland is very difficult unless you have a good education and skills that mean that you can get a permit based on work, or you will need to apply for studies here and have enough money to support yourselves while in school.

But assuming that you have overcome all the obstacles, I would not pressure my partner to move here if he didn't really want to leave the US. If things don't turn out the way you think they will - beautiful Finland, wonderful schools, free healthcare, good jobs - that is a recipe for resentment and damage to your relationship.

Finally, about the food: Until you have been shopping in Finland, do not assume that the food is all wonderful and healthy and affordable. It's quite expensive to buy food here. Even what we would consider a cheap cut of meat is outrageous in the shops here, and often I can't find the variety and freshness of produce that I was used to find back home in Seattle.

Whatever you do, do not idealize Finland. I love living here, and have been very lucky since I arrived to join my Finnish husband last year. I found a job right away, we bought an apartment, I have met many nice friends here, my husband's family accept me and are very nice, and everything is running smoothly. But Finland is not the antidote to being disappointed in life in America.

I was not trying to sound like I was idealizing Finland, my apologies for the misunderstanding. I know that, should we move there, it would be very difficult. There is the language barrier, and cultural differences. Plus, being so far from family, among other things. It wouldn't be easy, at all, but I am willing to try.

My SO is willing, and wanting, to make the move as well. He's been very understanding about all of it, the only issue he sees, would be the distance from his dad, and the weather. (he doesn't enjoy the cold so much) But, other than that, he is all for it. He wants to take the chance, for our kids. We both do. They are the most important things in our lives, and even if we didn't enjoy daily life in Finland (which I'm hopeful that we would) it would be worth it, if it gives our children a chance at a better future.

From what I've read about the food, they said that it is better than America, but with not as much of the variety that you have here. Some things you would be used to seeing daily, are not found there. But they have a different variety of food from America, and it is good. Better quality for the price, meaning that the cheap stuff here, such as Walmart's Great Value brand, are not there. The quality of the standard there, being better than the quality that is the standard here... I hope I wrote that well enough so you can see what I mean. Lol. That is what I've read so far, at least.

ritan7471 wrote: Finland is not the antidote to being disappointed in life in America.

How ironic is it that citizens of the US are so ready to just up and leave their states/country when their president/policitians is/are "fighting wars to protect the rights and freedoms of the citizens of the US"? Karma is a *itch.

channing316 wrote:
I am about a semester away from having my Associates degree in Commercial Digital Photography.

Associate's degrees are not accepted or recognized as real degrees in Finland. Most people in Finland who have degrees have master's, or at minimum a bachelor's. Even if your degree was a 4 year degree, it would still not be something you could likely find work with here, especially without being fluent in the language. To be honest, it doesn't sound like you or your husband have any qualifications or skills that are in demand in Finland.